Use > Server patching > Patch management for Red Hat Linux Enterprise

Patch management for Red Hat Enterprise Linux

HPE Server Automation patch management for Red Hat Enterprise Linux enables you to manage security and non-security patches for your Red Hat supported Managed Servers. It allows you to identify, install, and audit Red Hat package updates, keeping a high level of security across managed servers in your organization.

In HPE Server Automation, patches are the equivalent of Red Hat errata. The latter are package updates, bug fixes, and security patches for Red Hat Linux. They have been tested and approved by Red Hat, Inc. and can be found at https://rhn.redhat.com/errata/.

High-level architecture

HPE Server Automation Red Hat patching mechanism allows you to import patches from Red Hat or from other sources, scan managed servers to determine their current patching level and perform the deployment of patches. Finally, the server can be checked for compliance against the recommended set of patches.

The following figure displays the high level architecture for the HPE Server Automation Red Hat patching mechanism.

A typical Red Hat patching use case follows a well-defined process. Patches are first imported into HPE Server Automation. This is followed by an optional step where you can manage the patches. In the third step we need to determine what patches are recommended for the Red Hat managed servers. The result of this step is dependent on the patching levels of each of your managed servers. In other words, two machines with the same Red Hat platform can have different patches recommended. Once the recommended patches are found, the managed servers can be remediated. After the remediation occurs, the patched servers can be checked for compliance.